Understanding Science: The Human Body - In Sickness and in Health
At a Glance
- Classroom course (South Kensington)
- 20 weeks | October - March
- Tuesdays 18:00 - 20:00
- Fees from £270
- Tutor: Chris Palmer
Enrolment deadline
Courses starting in October 2023
- 8 October 2023
Have you ever wondered how our bodies work? The fact is that our bodies are an amazing product of billions of years of life on earth. The building blocks of our bodies are cells, small machine like units that are more complex than any man made object. Cells are grouped together to form tissues and organ systems with specialised functions such as absorption of nutrients, uptake of oxygen, excretion of waste, movement, defence, perception. The human body is made up of 11 systems which work with each other
Although we often take our bodies for granted, just like a machine if we do not look after them they can malfunction resulting in disease such as cancer or obesity. Or factors such as genetics, viruses or bacteria can cause our bodies to stop functioning correctly.
In the past half-century there has been a revolution in the understanding of how our bodies work, with the entire human genetic code being revealed we are set for a revolution in modern medicine. This course aims to reveal what makes our bodies tick and what happens when things go wrong.
Designed as a course for students of all ages and with different backgrounds and experiences, this course is meant as an introduction for non-specialists who have an interest in medicine and would like to understand better what appears in the press.
This course is not a series of lectures but based on an interactive approach. Films, activities and discussions help to explain the body and its workings.
Class Recordings
These classes are not recorded
Attendance Certificate
Successful completion of this course leads to the award of an Imperial College attendance certificate
Terms and conditions apply to all enrolments to this course. Please read them before enrolment
Course Information
Course Programme and Additional Reading
The following course plan is a guideline only and may well change to reflect the interests of the class
AUTUMN TERM:
- Week 1: What is life?
- Week 2: The parts of the human body
- Week 3: Respiratory system
- Week 4: Cardiovascular system
- Week 5: Digestive system
- Week 6: Urinary system
- Week 7: Skeletal system
- Week 8: Lymphatic and immune system
- Week 9: Nervous system
*** Christmas break ***
SPRING TERM:
- Week 10: Muscular system
- Week 11: Reproductive system
- Week 12: Integumentary system
- Week 13: Cancer
- Week 14: Viral infections
- Week 15: Bacterial infections
- Week 16: Obesity and diabetes
- Week 17: Alzheimer's and ageing
- Week 18: How to keep your body functioning properly
- Week 19: Modern medicine and its alternatives
- Week 20: Genome engineering of the human body
Additional Reading
There is no compulsory reading required for this course, and there is no set course text. A suggestion for further reading would be:
- Molecular and Cell Biology For Dummies, 2nd Edition Paperback – 7 July 2020, by Fester Kratz (Author)
Your Tutor
Professor Chris Palmer has had a varied and interesting career working on the HIV-1 virus, yeast ion channels, the nervous system and cancer.
Chris has worked at Reading University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Columbia University, Imperial College London and currently London Metropolitan University.
His current research interests include advancing our understanding of cancer and pain. He also has interests in herbal and complementary medicine.
Course Fees and Discounts
| Weeks | Standard Rate | Internal Rate | Associate Rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Early Bird: £453 Full price: £503 |
Early Bird: £270 Full price: £300 |
Early Bird: £356 Full price: £396 |
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| All fee rates quoted are for the whole 2-term course. Early Bird rates available 1 August to 30 September 2023 only. Part-payments are not possible. | |||||
Rate Categories and Discounts
Standard Rate
- Available to all except those who fall under the Internal Rate or Associate Rate category.
Internal Rate
- Current Imperial College students and staff (incl. Imperial NHS Trust, Imperial Innovations, ancillary & service staff employed on long-term contracts at Imperial College by third-party contractors)
- People enrolling under our Friends & Family scheme
- Alumni of Imperial College and predecessor colleges and institutes, including City & Guilds College Association members
- Students, staff and alumni of the Royal College of Art, Royal College of Music and City, UAL and the City and Guilds of London Art School
- Students, staff and Governors of Woodhouse College and the IC Mathematics School
Associate Rate
- Austrian Cultural Forum staff
- Co-operative College members
- Francis Crick Institute staff, researchers and students
- Friends and Patrons of the English Chamber Orchestra
- Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
- Friends of Leighton House/ Sambourne House
- Friends of the Royal College of Music
- Harrods staff
- Historic Royal Palaces staff
- Lycee Charles de Gaulle staff
- Members of the Friends of Imperial College
- Members of the Kennel Club
- Members of the London Zoological Society
- Members of the South London Botanical Institute (SLBI)
- Members of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
- National Health Service (NHS) employees
- Natural History Museum staff
- Residents of postcodes SW3, SW5, SW7, SW10 and W8
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council staff
- Royal Geographical Society staff
- Science Museum staff
- Staff of Exhibition Road Cultural Group (Discover South Kensington) organisations
- Students (non-Imperial College)
- Teachers and other staff of UK schools
- Tutors and other staff of institution members of the Association of Colleges
- Tutors and other staff of other universities and higher education institutions
- Victoria and Albert Museum staff
Late enrolment
It is possible to enrol on many of our adult education courses after the course has already started. For non-language courses this is subject entirely to agreement by the tutor. For language courses it is subject to agreement by the language coordinator conducting level assessment. If you want to join a course late do bear in mind there might be work you will need to catch up on, particularly in language courses.
Friends and Family Scheme
This course is eligible for allowing Imperial College students and staff to share their discount with their friends and family.
Term Dates 2023-2024
| Weeks | Autumn term | Spring term | Summer term | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Week commencing 16 October to week ending 16 December 2023 (9 weeks) | Week commencing 8 January to week ending 23 March 2024 (11 weeks) | n/a | |
| Term 1 and 2 are separated by the Christmas break | ||||
Enrolment Process
Web enrolment starts 1 August 2023. Early bird discounts are available from 1 August to 30 September 2023
Enrolment and payment run through the Imperial College eStore. When enrolling:
- Do check on the drop down menu above called "Course Fees and Rate Categories" to see if you are eligible for a discounted rate and also do make sure you select that rate when enrolling on the eStore
- If you are a first-time eStore user you will need to create an account before enrolling. You can do this by entering an email address and password. This account can then be used for any future enrolments via the eStore.
When you have enrolled you will be sent the following email notifications:
| What is sent | When is it sent | What does it contain | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Payment confirmation | Is sent straight away following submission of your online application |
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| 2. Enrolment confirmation | Is usually sent within 10 working days. Please treat your payment confirmation as confirmation that your applicant details and payment have been received |
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| 3. Programme information | Is usually sent on Friday late afternoon the week before term starts |
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Any Questions?
If you have any questions about the academic content or teaching of this course please contact the Course Tutor, Professor Chris Palmer, chris.palmer@londonmet.ac.uk
If you have any questions about your enrolment or payment processes please contact the Programme Administrator, Christian Jacobi, eveningclass@imperial.ac.uk